Water Column Properties Research Articles

Wastewater-effluent discharge and incomplete denitrification drive riverine CO2, CH4 and N2O emissions

Rivers are well-known sources of the greenhouse gasses (GHG) carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). These emissions from rivers can increase because of anthropogenic activities, such as agricultural fertilizer input or the discharge of treated wastewater, as these often contain elevated nutrient concentrations. Yet, the specific effects of wastewater effluent discharge on river GHG emissions remain poorly understood. Here, we studied two lowland rivers which both receive municipal wastewater effluent: river Linge and river Kromme Rijn. Dissolved concentrations and fluxes of CH4, N2O and CO2 were measured upstream, downstream and at discharge locations, alongside water column properties and sediment composition. Microbial communities in the sediment and water column were analysed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. In general, observed GHG emissions from Linge and Kromme Rijn were comparable to eutrophic rivers in urban and agricultural environments. CO2 emissions peaked at most discharge locations, likely resulting from dissolved CO2 present in the effluent. CH4 emission was highest 2 km downstream, suggesting biological production by methanogenic activity stimulated by the effluents' carbon and nutrient supply. Dissolved N2O concentrations were strongly related to NO3− content of the water column which points towards incomplete riverine denitrification. Notably, methanogenic archaea were more abundant downstream of effluent discharge locations. However, overall microbial community composition remained relatively unaffected in both rivers. In conclusion, we demonstrate a clear link between wastewater effluent discharge and enhanced downstream GHG emission of two rivers. Mitigating the impact of wastewater effluent on receiving rivers will be crucial to reduce riverine GHG contributions.

The deepwater oxygen deficit in stratified shallow seas is mediated by diapycnal mixing

Seasonally stratified shelf seas are amongst the most biologically productive on the planet. A consequence is that the deeper waters can become oxygen deficient in late summer. Predictions suggest global warming will accelerate this deficiency. Here we integrate turbulence timeseries with vertical profiles of water column properties from a seasonal stratified shelf sea to estimate oxygen and biogeochemical fluxes. The profiles reveal a significant subsurface chlorophyll maximum and associated mid-water oxygen maximum. We show that the oxygen maximum supports both upward and downwards O2 fluxes. The upward flux is into the surface mixed layer, whilst the downward flux into the deep water will partially off-set the seasonal O2 deficit. The results indicate the fluxes are sensitive to both the water column structure and mixing rates implying the development of the seasonal O2 deficit is mediated by diapcynal mixing. Analysis of current shear indicate that the downward flux is supported by tidal mixing, whilst the upwards flux is dominated by wind driven near-inertial shear. Summer storminess therefore plays an important role in the development of the seasonal deep water O2 deficit.

Bottom and Suspended Sediment Backscatter Measurements in a Flume—Towards Quantitative Bed and Water Column Properties

For health and impact studies of water systems, monitoring underwater environments is essential, for which multi-frequency single- and multibeam echosounders are commonly used state-of-the-art technologies. However, the current scarcity of sediment reference datasets of both bottom backscatter angular response and water column scattering hampers empirical data interpretation. Comprehensive reference data derived from measurements in a controlled environment should optimize the use of empirical backscatter data. To prepare for such innovative experiments, we conducted a feasibility experiment in the Delta Flume (Deltares, The Netherlands). Several configurations of sonar data were recorded of the flume floor and suspended sediment plumes. The results revealed that flume reverberation was sufficiently low and that the differential settling of fine-sand plumes in the water column was clearly detected. Following this successful feasibility test, future comprehensive experiments will feature multi-frequency multi-angle measurements on a variety of sediment types, additional scatterers and sediment plumes, resulting in reference datasets for an improved interpretation of underwater backscatter measurements for scientific observation and sustainable management.

An enhanced large-scale benthic reflectance retrieval model for the remote sensing of submerged ecosystems in optically shallow waters

Shallow water benthic habitats have been significantly degraded and seriously threatened by intensifying climate changes and anthropogenic stressors. Benthic reflectance (Rbλ) of optically shallow waters (OSWs) is a key parameter for remote sensing of benthic habitats’ composition and health status. The remote sensing reflectance (Rrsλ) just above the water surface contains the coupled spectral information of the water column and seabed in OSWs, which makes our effort challenging to separate the signals between seabed and water column properties. Due to too many unknowns of the water column and seabed optical properties, the current approaches are inaccurate or inadequate to retrieve benthic reflectance spectra over a large area from remotely sensed data. In this study, we proposed an enhanced large-scale benthic reflectance (LSBR) retrieval model from satellite data in OSWs with only input of Rrsλ. A new spectral library of benthic reflectance was built upon multi-source reflectance datasets obtained from several open-source field measurements. Then, the specific relationship between Rb443nm and Rb490nm was developed. By combining a semi-analytical benthic reflectance (SABR) model based on radiative transfer simulations and this relationship, water-column chlorophyll concentration (chl) was determined. Moreover, large-scale water depth was estimated by Rrsλ through satellite-derived bathymetry (SDB) technologies. Finally, benthic reflectance was retrieved with the inputs of the satellite-derived Rrsλ, chl, and water depth. In this way, the LSBR model fulfills the Rbλ retrieval with only input of satellite-derived Rrsλ. The new model was successfully applied to Sentinel-2/MSI data in the seagrass region of Xincun Bay and the coral region of Huaguang Reef and further verified by using field measurements and results of the along-track benthic reflectance (ATBR) retrieval model, which combined active lidar and passive high-resolution satellite images. Additionally, to gain insights into the long-term evolution of benthic communities, a typical application of the LSBR model for detecting benthic changes was conducted using eight years of Sentinel-2/MSI data in Heron Reef, depicting a similar consistency between the probable deterioration and restoration region and the sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies. The results demonstrated the robustness and accuracy of the LSBR model in retrieving benthic reflectance at large scales. The LSBR model should be helpful for further investigating benthic changes which can enhance the ability to monitor and assess the health status of submerged ecosystems in OSWs.

An integrated buoy-satellite based coastal water quality nowcasting system: India's pioneering efforts towards addressing UN ocean decade challenges

The Indian coastal waters are stressed due to a multitude of factors, such as the discharge of industrial effluents, urbanization (municipal sewage), agricultural runoff, and river discharge. The coastal waters along the eastern and western seaboard of India exhibit contrasting characteristics in terms of seasonality, the magnitude of river influx, circulation pattern, and degree of anthropogenic activity. Therefore, understanding these processes and forecasting their occurrence is highly necessary to secure the health of coastal waters, habitats, marine resources, and the safety of tourists. This article introduces an integrated buoy-satellite based Water Quality Nowcasting System (WQNS) to address the unique challenges of water quality monitoring in Indian coastal waters and to boost the regional blue economy. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has launched a first-of-its-kind WQNS, and positioned the buoys at two important locations along the east (Visakhapatnam) and west (Kochi) coast of India, covering a range of environmental conditions and tourist-intensive zones. These buoys are equipped with different physical-biogeochemical sensors, data telemetry systems, and integration with satellite-based observations for real-time data transmission to land. The sensors onboard these buoys continuously measure 22 water quality parameters, including surface current (speed and direction), salinity, temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, phycocyanin, phycoerythrin, Coloured Dissolved Organic Matter, chlorophyll-a, turbidity, dissolved methane, hydrocarbon (crude and refined), scattering, pCO2 (water and air), and inorganic macronutrients (nitrite, nitrate, ammonium, phosphate, silicate). This real-time data is transmitted to a central processing facility at INCOIS, and after necessary quality control, the data is disseminated through the INCOIS website. Preliminary results from the WQNS show promising outcomes, including the short-term changes in the water column oxic and hypoxic regimes within a day in coastal waters off Kochi during the monsoon period, whereas effluxing of high levels of CO2 into the atmosphere associated with the mixing of water, driven by local depression in the coastal waters off Visakhapatnam. The system has demonstrated its ability to detect changes in the water column properties due to episodic events and mesoscale processes. Additionally, it offers valuable data for research, management, and policy development related to coastal water quality.

Spatial and temporal dynamics of near-bottom dissolved oxygen in the central basin of Lake Erie

Abstract Eutrophication continues in Lake Erie and low oxygen concentration remains a concern in the central basin of the lake. Summertime dissolved oxygen concentrations can be hypoxic (low dissolved oxygen) and anoxic (dissolved oxygen <1 mg l-1) in the hypolimnion. We examined the spatial and temporal patterns of hypoxia in the central basin along a ∼ 26 km west-east station transect in the western portion of the central basin (depth gradient from 11.4 m in the west to 20 m in the east). Water column properties were monitored using moored instruments (dissolved oxygen, temperature, turbidity, Chlorophyll a fluorescence) and instrument profiling during cruises in 2008 and 2009. Hypoxia was examined using a biologically relevant value of 40% dissolved oxygen saturation (i.e. ∼4 mg l-1) and 25% dissolved oxygen saturation (i.e. ∼2.5 mg l-1) as used by government agencies. Our goals were to determine the onset and location of hypoxia, as well as the frequency of hypoxic events. We observed differences in the spatial and temporal patterns between the two years, related potentially to different water levels, stronger winds, and a smaller hypolimnion and lower thermocline depth in 2009. Near-bottom hypoxia occurred in the east at the end of June and extended westward by the end of July 2008 using 40% saturation; in early July to mid-August using 25% saturation. The onset of hypoxia (40% sat) occurred earlier in the west in 2009 but was similar to 2008 using 25% saturation. Hypoxia was not static, rather there were a total of ∼100 events of both levels of hypoxia, which were of different duration, noted across the transect in both years. Both the frequency and duration of hypoxic events (> 1 min) were higher and longer in 2008, perhaps related to water circulation and the resuspension of bottom sediment by synoptic-scale storms, which coincided with low oxygen events. Understanding the spatial and temporal patterns of hypoxia provides insight into their effects on habitat quality as well as biogeochemical processes in benthic and hypolimnetic environments in Lake Erie.

Morphotypical and Geochemical Variations of Planktic Foraminiferal Species in Siberian and Central Arctic Ocean Core Tops

Abstract In this work, we utilize a transect of core top, mid- to late Holocene, sediments from the Eastern Siberian Sea to the central Arctic Ocean, spanning gradients in upper-ocean water column properties, to examine regional planktic foraminiferal species abundances and geochemistry. We present species- and morphotype-specific foraminiferal assemblages at these sites and stable isotope analyses of neogloboquadrinids. We find little variation in planktic species populations, and only small variations in N. pachyderma morphotype distributions, between sites. Spatial averages of N. pachyderma morphotype and N. incompta δ18O values show no significant differences, suggesting a similar calcification depth for all morphotypes of N. pachyderma and N. incompta across our sites, which we estimate to be between ∼ 50–150 m. Values of δ18O of a group of unencrusted specimens delineate a shallower calcification habitat. Neogloboquadrina pachyderma-2 Mg/Ca values yield temperatures outside the range of observations using available calibration equations, pointing toward the need for more Arctic-specific Mg/Ca-temperature calibrations.

Water column properties associated with massive algal bloom of green Noctiluca scintillans in the Arabian Sea

An algal bloom of Noctiluca scintillans (NS) was monitored for 20 days in the Arabian Sea during February 2017. The stations under the influence of NS had low temperature and high salinity compared to outside indicating influence of convective mixing. The microscopic cell count of NS reached a value of 52,600 cells l−1. The surface variability in oxygen and pCO2 measured alongside showed a strong disconnect. Modest supersaturation of surface waters (ΔpCO2 = 3–75 μatm) was observed around the NS bloom compared to outside. However, as these stations were under the influence of convective mixing, the observed change in pCO2 due to subsurface ventilation cannot be ruled out. From the viewpoint of climate change and its influence on oceanic processes, constant monitoring of this bloom becomes essential due to its survival strategy in nutrient-depleted conditions and light of the present observations.

Monitoring of 137Cs, 239+240Pu, and 90Sr in the marine environment of South Korea and their impact on marine biota: 10 years after the Fukushima accident

This study conducted an analysis of the behavior of radionuclides and assessment their radioactive risk based on seawater and seabed sediment samples gathered from the East, South, and Yellow Seas of South Korea over the period from 2011 to 2020. The distribution for each radionuclides in seawater obtained from the East, South, and Yellow Seas were similar. However, the concentrations of 137Cs and 239+240Pu in sediments from the East Sea were observed to be higher compared to those from the South and Yellow Seas. This variation can be attributed to differences in the ocean inflow, water column properties, and seabed characteristics among the seas around South Korea. There were no statistically significant differences between the radioactive concentrations of seawater and seabed samples collected before and after the Fukushima accident, and no areas with unusually high radiation levels were detected. Using the distribution coefficient (Kds) and the concentration ratio (CR) calculated from the 2011-to-2020 data, we evaluated the radiological impact on fish. The ERICA tool was utilized to assess these data, and indicated a negligible radiological risk from radioactivity in the seawater, seabed sediments, and marine biota in the South Korean Ocean.

A Wide-Area Deep Ocean Floor Mapping System: Design and Sea Tests

Mapping the seafloor in the deep ocean is currently performed using sonar systems on surface vessels (low-resolution maps) or undersea vessels (high-resolution maps). Surface-based mapping can cover a much wider search area and is not burdened by the complex logistics required for deploying undersea vessels. However, practical size constraints for a towbody or hull-mounted sonar array result in limits in beamforming and imaging resolution. For cost-effective high-resolution mapping of the deep ocean floor from the surface, a mobile wide-aperture sparse array with subarrays distributed across multiple autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) has been designed. Such a system could enable a surface-based sensor to cover a wide area while achieving high-resolution bathymetry, with resolution cells on the order of 1 m2 at a 6 km depth. For coherent 3D imaging, such a system must dynamically track the precise relative position of each boat’s sonar subarray through ocean-induced motions, estimate water column and bottom reflection properties, and mitigate interference from the array sidelobes. Sea testing of this core sparse acoustic array technology has been conducted, and planning is underway for relative navigation testing with ASVs capable of hosting an acoustic subarray.

Joint trans-dimensional inversion for seabed and water-column properties in the seabed characterization experiments

This paper considers the information content to resolve both a geoacoustic model of the seabed and a model of the water-column sound-speed profile (SSP) in the inversion of modal-dispersion data. A Bayesian formulation of the inverse problem allows prior information representing varying levels of independent knowledge to be applied separately to the seabed and water-column models. Issues of interest include the extent to which knowledge (or lack thereof) of the SSP affects geoacoustic inversion, and the ability to remotely estimate the SSP from acoustic data in cases where the seabed is either well known or poorly known. The joint inversion for seabed and water-column properties is formulated in terms of a separate trans-dimensional model for each, providing an automated approach to quantitative model selection. The seabed model is formulated in terms of an unknown number of uniform sediment layers, while the SSP is formulated as an unknown number of depth/sound-speed nodes, with the reciprocal of sound speed squared varying linearly between nodes, as per normal-mode propagation models. The approach is applied to modal-dispersion data measured during the seabed characterization experiments at the New England Mud Patch. [Work supported by the Office of Naval Research]

Annual biogeochemical cycling in intertidal sediments of a restored estuary reveals dependence of N, P, C and Si cycles to temperature and water column properties

Estuarine intertidal sediments are important centres for organic matter remineralization and nutrients recycling. Nevertheless, there is limited understanding regarding how these processes occur along the salinity gradient and their seasonality. Here, we report on the seasonal biogeochemical cycles from three types of intertidal sedimentary habitats (freshwater, brackish and marine) located in the Western Scheldt estuary (The Netherlands and Belgium). A full year of solute fluxes, porewater nutrient and sediment pigment concentrations at a monthly resolution revealed clear differences in the biogeochemistry of the three sites, indicating that environmental conditions determined the local nutrient dynamics. Temperature controlled sediment oxygen consumption rates and nutrient fluxes, but also affected pore water nutrient concentrations up to 14 cm deep. Fresh and brackish sediments had a net influx of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) (−1.62 mmol m−2 d−1 and -2.84 mmol m−2 d−1, respectively), while only the freshwater sediments showed a net influx of phosphate (−0.07 mmol m−2 d−1). We estimated that intertidal sediments remineralized a total of 10,000 t C y−1, with 97% of mineralization occurring in the brackish and marine parts. Overall, sediments removed 11% (1500 t N y−1) and 15% (∼200 t P y−1) of the total nitrogen and phosphorus entering the estuary from riverine input. Moreover, observations revealed the historical improvement of water quality resulting from water treatment policies. This spatiotemporal study of OM remineralization and early diagenesis in estuarine systems highlights the importance of intertidal sediments for estuarine systems. Our observations can be used in models to predict estuarine biogeochemistry or assess climate change scenarios.

Increasing air temperature relative to water temperature makes the mixed layer shallower, reducing phytoplankton biomass in a stratified lake

Abstract The depth of the mixed layer is a major determinant of nutrient and light availability for phytoplankton in stratified waterbodies. Ongoing climate change influences surface waters through meteorological forcing, which modifies the physical structure of fresh waters including the mixed layer, but effects on phytoplankton biomass are poorly known. To determine the responses of phytoplankton biomass to the depth of the mixed layer, light availability and associated meteorological forcing, we followed daily changes in weather and water column properties in a boreal lake over the first half of a summer stratification period. Phytoplankton biomass increased with the deepening of the mixed layer associated with high wind speeds and low air temperature relative to the temperature of the mixed layer (Tair−Tmix < 0), whereas heatwave conditions—shallow mixed layer driven by high Tair−Tmix value and low wind speed—reduced the biomass. Improving light availability from low to moderate light conditions increased the phytoplankton biomass, while the highest light availability was associated with low phytoplankton biomass. Our study demonstrates that the climatic impact‐drivers wind speed and Tair−Tmix are major drivers of mixed layer depth, which controlled phytoplankton biomass during the early summer stratification period. Our study suggests that increasing air temperature relative to water temperature and declining wind speeds have potential to lead to reduced phytoplankton biomass due to a shallower mixed layer during the first half of the stratification period in non‐eutrophic lakes with sufficient light availability.

Evaluation and Improvement of No-Ground-Truth Dual Band Algorithm for Shallow Water Depth Retrieval: A Case Study of a Coastal Island

Conventional bathymetric inversion approaches require bathymetric data as ground truth to obtain shallow water depth from high spatial resolution remote sensing imagery. Thus, bathymetric mapping methods that do not require inputs from in situ measurements are highly desirable. In this paper, we propose a dual-band model improvement method and evaluate the performance of this novel dual-band model approach to obtain the underwater terrain around a coastal island by using four WorldView-2/3 imageries. Then, we validate the results through changing water column properties with the Kd multiple linear regression model simulated by Hydrolight. We multiply the best coefficient and blue–green band value with different substrates on the pixels, which sample along the coastal line and isobath. The results show that the mean bias of inversed depth ranges from 1.73 to 2.96 m in the four imageries. The overall accuracy of root mean square errors (RMSEs) is better for depths shallower than 10 m, and the average relative error is 11.89%. The inversion accuracy of this new model is higher than Lee’s classical Kd model and has a wider range of applications than Chen’s dual-band model. The no-ground-truth dual-band algorithm has higher accuracy than the other log-ratio methods mentioned in this paper.

A ∼ 50 kyr record of carbonate (pteropods) preservation from the Laccadive Sea, Northern Indian Ocean

To evaluate the preservation pattern of pteropods and their relationship with climatic and oceanographic history in the Laccadive Sea, temporal variation analysis of pteropod abundance was carried out. We employed preservation indices from calcite (Globigerina bulloides%, Globorotalia menardii abundance), as well as aragonite (e.g., total pteropod abundance, Limacina Dissolution Index (LDX), fragmentation ratio) as a proxy. To determine if pteropod shells have been preserved over time, we used estimated pteropod abundance. The pteropod preservation record displays excellent preservation during cold stadials, evidenced by the lower values of aragonite dissolution proxies than during the interglacials/interstadials, similar to the preservation records from other northern Indian Ocean cores. The shallow aragonite compensation depth (ACD), weaker oxygen minimum zone (OMZ), and the lower southwest monsoon (SWM)-induced productivity is thought to be the cause of the basin-wide pteropod preservation events during the cold stadials (ACD). Additionally, during an intense northeast monsoon (NEM), the advection of cold, low-saline waters from the Bay of Bengal to the Laccadive Sea, as well as the intrusion of southern-sourced intermediate water ventilation, may have caused a deep vertical mixing of oxygen-rich surface waters, raised the pH of thermocline waters and deepened the ACD. However, the local fluctuations in the water mass properties, such as the increased productivity maxima, the intense OMZ, and shallow ACD, as well as changes in the aragonite, are responsible for the poor pteropod abundance, poor preservation and strong dissolution during the Holocene, Bølling-Allerød (B/A) and interstadial periods.The calcification proxy indicates that the aragonite undersaturation and reduced calcification occurred during 19–16.5 kyr, preferably due to the depletion in the oceanic alkalinity caused by enhanced upwelling-induced carbonate ion exchange between the intermediate and deep water. In contrast, the preferential dissolution of smaller shells in the sediments (marked by increased average shell size and higher values of Limacina dissolution index (LDX)) corresponds to strengthened OMZ and shallower ACD, pointing towards the post-depositional dissolution of aragonite shells. Therefore, the overall decrease of pteropod content of the deposits in the stadial/interstadials suggests a combination of monsoon-associated changes in water column properties, variability in aragonite saturation, intermediate water ventilation and sediment rate.

Changes in the vertical distribution of age‐0 walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) during warm and cold years in the southeastern Bering Sea

AbstractIn the last 20 years, the southeastern Bering Sea has shifted its thermal variability to longer‐term (4–6 years) ocean–ecosystem temperature stanzas. Age‐0 walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) populations respond to thermal changes with horizontal (east–west) shifts in spatial distribution over the continental shelf, though there are limited data on whether thermally mediated vertical shifts in distribution also occur. Vertical shifts may impact predator–prey overlap between age‐0 pollock and their lipid‐rich prey, calanoid copepods and euphausiids, resulting in different feeding conditions that ultimately affect fish body condition prior to winter onset. For this study, we analyzed acoustic backscatter measured during acoustic trawl surveys over the southeastern Bering Sea shelf in cold years (2011, 2012) and warm years (2014 and 2016) to determine the vertical distribution of age‐0 pollock. This study presents evidence that age‐0 pollock changes in vertical distribution were related to changes in ocean annual temperature. Age‐0 pollock went from occurring deeper in the water column during cold periods to being surface‐oriented during warm periods, potentially exacerbating spatial mismatches between pollock and prey. We relate patterns in a vertical position to physical water column properties, feeding, and bioenergetic condition of collected pollock and discuss implications for recruitment success during different thermal oceanographic stanzas.

Northeast monsoon distribution of biogeochemical properties and phytoplankton pigments from Hooghly–Sundarbans estuarine region, India

Phytoplankton marker pigments and their relationships with water column properties were investigated for the first time in the Hooghly–Sundarbans region. The upper estuary (Diamond Harbour) was characterized by low salinity with high silicate and nitrate within the surface waters. This region showed a strong presence of marker pigment fucoxanthin, an indicator of diatom populations. In contrast, marker pigment zeaxanthin and chlorophyll b became equally dominant with the increasing salinity in the lower estuary Silicate and nitrate showed positive relationships with diatom indices suggesting strong dependency. Contrary to that, picoplankton indices increased the high saline oligotrophic waters of the lower estuary (Sundarbans). Divinyl Chlorophyll a and b were not detected in any of the sample sets suggesting the absence of Prochlorococcus populations around the sampling locations. Oxygen distribution was strongly correlated with temperature and salinity, suggesting significant physical control. Further silicate, also showed a positive relationship with turbidity inferring that the river discharge is an important source. Our study suggests 60 % of the chlorophyll a biomass is contributed by microplankton communities with the rest 40 % by picoplankton during the northeast monsoon. As sinking rates and carbon to chlorophyll a ratio varies among different communities, the relative efficiency of primary productivity and carbon sequestration may be re-looked here in light of this new revelation.

High resolution mapping of sound speed and density with broadband echo sounders

Advances in acoustic propagation and physical oceanographic modeling necessitate improved spatiotemporal resolution of water column properties (temperature, salinity, sound speed, and density) to inform and validate models. Shipboard profiling provides adequate vertical resolution, but high-resolution horizontal sampling is expensive and time consuming. Stationary arrays generate critical long-term data sets and high vertical resolution, however, there is a trade-off between dense horizontal sampling and total spatial coverage. Towed systems provide dense coverage horizontally but lack vertical resolution in a single location. During the ONR funded New England Shelf Break Acoustics experiments in 2021, sparse shipboard CTD and expendable bathythermograph (XBT) casts were combined with backscatter measurements by shipboard broadband echo sounders to map water column physical properties of the New England Shelf Break front with high resolution vertically and horizontally. The shipboard echo sounders detected backscatter from the strong gradients of the shelf break front, physical microstructure, and internal waves present at the frontal boundary. Acoustically tracking the front between CTD casts resulted in high resolution profiles of water column properties. Acoustic propagation modeling at 500 Hz and 4 kHz was compared when using the acoustically determined water column profile and when using profiles from CTD and XBT casts alone.

Effect of exopolymer gels on the viscoelasticity of mucus-rich saltwater and settling dynamics of particles

Algal blooms enrich seawater with gel-like exopolymers modifying the local structure and physio-chemical properties of water column. These effects are particularly intense during mucilage events occurring seasonally in some seas and coastal regions and in thin layers. However, detailed in situ examination is limited, and the effects of biologically modified seawater on microscale processes remain poorly understood. In this study, we experimentally investigated the impact of exopolymer gels on rheological properties of mucus-rich saltwater and consequences on settling dynamics of fast-sinking particles using aqueous solutions of sodium chloride with an addition of xanthan gum, a model exopolymer forming gels dispersed in water. We studied two types of solutions: colloidal dispersion and dispersion with predominant content of particulate gels. The results showed that dispersions consisting of colloidal exopolymers have stronger inner structure than dispersions with predominant particulate exopolymers, suggesting that viscoelastic properties of seawater vary with the structure of gels. Settling velocity and drag exerted on solid spheres and disks were substantially different for the two types of solutions, with the drag coefficient up to six times higher for colloidal than for particulate solutions of corresponding salinity, indicating that colloidal exopolymers may retard particles falling in marine environment more effectively than particulate gels. The findings highlight possible variation in viscoelasticity of mucus-rich saltwater with exopolymer network structure changes in spatial and temporal scales during algal bloom development and implications to the sedimentation of fast-sinking particles such as faecal pellets, carbonate grains, minerals and microplastics.

Limnological Studies of Water Column Properties of Kuntbhoyag Lake, Mandi District Himachal Pradesh India

Lakes play important role in the biochemical and hydrological cycle. The water in lakes is the valuablesource for hydropower, domestic, industrial purpose, drinking water and irrigation etc. The water columnquality properties are monitored during December 2020. To find out the suitable water column propertiesin different locations is an intricate task. The potential of water column properties from different locationsto achieve maximum desirability for different properties of water with the help of the desirability functionhas been reported in this article. However, the level of water quality parameters was found to be more thanthe criteria level in all the intake points. This is due to contaminated surface rain runoff enter into the lake.